Carpet fabric and method of making same



April 1%, 1932. E HOPKINSON 1,854,193

CARPET FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 2, 1950 Patented Apr.19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST HOPKINSON, OF NEW YORK, N.Y.

Application filed August 2, 1930. Serial No. 472,581.

My present invention relates to an improved floor covering and themethod of making the same.

Heretofore floor coverings, such as carpets or rugs, have been made of afabric base with which is interwoven a pile, the whole constituting thewell-known pile fabric of carpets or rugs. Due to the care necessary inmanufacturing and to the quality of the material that must be utilizedin such manufacture, the cost of such fabrics is relatively great. Witha view to improving the manufacture of floor coverings, such as carpetsor rugs, and to cheapen the cost of manufacture, while maintaining thequality, I have devised the subject-matter of the present invention.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably form a strand composed of acore of cord, or paper, or any other suitable material and having acovering of fibrous material wound or wrapped on the outside thereof. Aplurality of such strands are laid side by side to form a layer ofmaterial and one side or face of this layer of material is coated withan aqueous dispersion of rubber, either natural. or artificial or anyother suitable adhesive material. Over the coating of adhesive materialis preferably attached a layer of light fabric.

The above produces a floor covering at a minimum cost and is asatisfactory substitute for a pile fabric. My improved method, however,may be utilized in producing a pile fabric, either single faced ordouble faced. The procedure utilized in this form of the invention is towrap a flat core of rubber, paper or any other suitable material with alayer of fibrous material, place a plurality of such cores side by sideto form alayer of material of the desired length and breadth, cover eachside or face of such layer of material with an aqueous dispersion ofrubber, either artificial or natural or any other suitable adhesive,apply to the outer face of each layer of adhesion a fabric covering andthen split the layer of material into two portions in a plane parallelto the fabric faces or coverings. There is thus produced two sections offloor covering which, when the cores have been removed constitutes atrue pile surface.

an improved floor covering and method of making same.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment ofmy invention;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one modi- 85 fication;

Fig.2 is an end elevation of one of the elements utilized in theformation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section of another modification;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but to be 7 1 utilized in thebuilding of a twofaced pile material;

Fig. 5 is one of the units obtained from a splitting of Fig. 4 and Flg.6 is a view showing a double pile fabric made from a plurality of theelements .shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, 1Odesignates a core of fibrous material such as cord or paper. On

this core is wrapped a layer 11 of fibrous ma-- terial such as cord orloose fibers. Each of these wrapped strands or yarns is made ofsubstantially equal length and are then arranged parallel to each otheras shown in Fig.

1 forming a layer of material of the thickness equal to the diameter ofthe core 10, plus twice the thickness of the strand 11. One face of thislayer is then coated with an adhesive material 12, such as a dispersionof 9c rubber, either natural or artificial, and a covering layer 13 offabric is applied thereto. The cords may be directly applied in parallelarrangement to the layer of fabric, which has been previously coatedwith a rubber ma- 5 terial, preferably a natural or artificial latex.These methods of operation or manufacture produ'ce'a floor covering suchas carpet or rugs of substantial thickness and of relatively long life.Also, the material is resilient 1 a due to the character of the core 10on which the various elements are wound.

Referrin now to Fig. 3, there is shown a plurality 0 cores 14substantially rectangular in cross section and of any desired materialsuch, for example, as rubben, These cores 14 have wound thereon1ayers-15 of fibro s material similar to the fibrous material 1 in themodification above described, and a plurality of such wrapped cores 14are arranged parallel to each other as shown in Fig. 3 to form a layerof material of the desired length and breadth and of the proportionatethickness shown. Each face of this layer is coated with an adhesive 16,for instance one comprising a dispersion of rubber, either natural orartificial and such layers of adhesive are. covered with fabric layers17. In the case where the cores 14 are rubber the cores are easilyremoved from the layer of material either before or after the coatingoperation takes place, but where the cores are of a material other thanthe rubber it may be found preferable to leave such cores in place.

The layer of material is then split in a plane midway between the layersof fabric 17 or on the plane designated by the numerals 18-18. After thesplitting operation, the cores 14 may be removed and the resultantfabric is a pile fabric suitable for upholstery or floor covering.

In some cases it is preferable to produce a double faced material and inthis event the method as outlined with'regard to Fig. '3 is pursued upto-and including the application of the adhesive layers 16. Referring toFigs. 4, 5 and 6, it will be noted that the fabric layer 17 of Fig. 3has been dispensed with and the splitting operation on the plane 18-18is midway between the outer surfaces of the layer 16 of the adhesivematerial. The splitting of the composite structure and the subsequentremoval of the cores 14 results in the formation of two pieces of pilefabric, such as shown for example in Fig: 5. The two pieces may be usedas such or may be backed together with an adhesive layer as shown infig. 6 producing a pilefabric with double ace.

While I have described my invention as applicable to the production ofspecific types of floor coverings and pile fabric materials, it is to beunderstood that my invention is not to be thus limited, and that it maybe used in a variety of ways and for the production of a variety ofmaterials without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Subject matter not claimed in this application is described and claimedin my copending application Serial No. 404,457, filed Nov. 2, 1929.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is: T

1. That improved method of making a pile fabric which consists inwrapping fibrous material about a core, placing a plurality of wrappedcores side by side to form a layer of material, applying adhesivebacking to both sides of the layer of material, removing the cores andthen severing the fibrous material in a plane between the adhesivebackings.

2. That improved method of making a pile fabric which consists inwrapping fibrous material about a core of resilient material, placing aplurality of wrapped cores side by side to form a layer of material,applying a backin of fabric and adhesive material to both si es of thelayer of material removing the cores and then severing the fibrousmaterial in a plane parallel to the backing.

3. That improved method of making a pile fabric which consists inwrapping fibrous material about a flat core, placing a plurality ofwrapped cores side by side to form a layer of material, attaching abacking to both sides of the layer of material removing the cores andthen severing the fibrous material in a plane side by side and betweenthe backing layers. I

4. That improved method of making a pile fabric which consists inwrapping fibrous material about a core, arranging the Wrapped core inlayers contiguous to each other to form a layer of material, attachingan adplane parallel to the backing and between the backin layers andremoving the core.

5. T at improved methodof making a pile fabric which consists inwrapping fibrous material about a core, arranging the wrapped core toform a layer of material, attaching a backing of adhesive and fabric toboth sides of the layer of material, and severing the fibrous materialin a plane parallel to the backing and between the backing layers.

-6. The method of making pile fabric which consists in wrapping fibrousmaterial about a core, placing a plurality of wrapped cores side by sideto form a layer of material, applying an adhesive film to both faces ofthe lager of material, severing the composite w ole on a plane midwaybetween the said faces and then attaching together the two pile fabricsso cut to form a double faced pile fabric.

Signed at New York city, county of New York, State of New York, this29th day of

